Chapter 94: Chapter 94

The day wore on and soon it was time for the next purification. Belissar once again prepared the fire radish slivers while the soldier bee army gathered by the entrance, this time positioned high in case of an aerial opponent. Belissar took a deep breath.

Minor+ purification attempt commencing.

He triggered the purification and once again the Hunger coalesced. However, this time it did not gather midair, but on the ground. The Hunger split in two and two small wolf-shades appeared as in the first minor+ purification. Belissar frowned.

The minor purifications had always been the same, but apparently the minor+ purifications could change from day by day. And now, for only the second time ever, his bees faced more than one opponent.

The bees quickly reoriented themselves, a second sprayer squad diving to join the first as they started their attack. Both shades roared as they were greeted with toxic sprays coating their entire bodies. They retaliated with two breath attacks but the sprayers had already retreated. A third and fourth squad began their approach, the shades noticed and broke off into a run. The sprayers broke off but two squads of regular soldier bees dove in from the sides. The two shades moved closer together and swung their tails to either side, warding off the soldier’s attack.

But then, one of the shades yelped and vanished, falling into the first Pit Trap where it was doused by the Mad Honey Sticky Trap. The other shade stopped and turned to look inside the pit. The third and fourth sprayer squads then pulled up and assaulted it.

The shade yelped and launched another breath attack, but caught nothing. It glanced around at all the bees surrounding it. Then, just like the first time they faced two shades, the second shade jumped down into the pit to regroup with the other and take shelter from the bees.

But unlike the first time this happened, Belissar and his bees were prepared. The Apiary soldier bees were already on their way, grasping fire radish slivers with their hind legs, ready to handle the very situation that prompted their training. They flew over the pit, just high enough to avoid any breath attacks, and released their slivers with practiced precision.

Juosiutik inhaled a large breath…until Chief Rohsuak tightened her grip and Juosiutik let it go.

“Ok…um, may I see one of the new fire radishes?”

Belissar nodded and pulled one out of the pot, handing it over to her. Juosiutik looked over it with a furrowed brow. Chief Rohsuak also looked over her shoulder at it.

“It…appears entirely healthy from what I can tell but…chief?”

Chief Rohsuak nodded.

“Yes, I can feel the fire mana within. This one should be more potent than average.”

Juosiutik slowly turned her gaze back to Belissar. Something in her eye made him take a step back subconsciously.

“So…if we give you plants…you can grow more of them?”

“Um, it depends? But if the plant will grow in one of the rooms I have, then yes?”

Juosiutik tensed and tried to step forward but Chief Rohsuak’s grip was firm and Juosiutik turned back to look at her. The chief just had her eyebrow raised. Juosiutik turned back to Belissar and lowered her head.

“Sacred Den Master, if I give you whatever plants I have, would you be willing to share with me? Maybe grow them by the front or by the healing herbs so the hunters can gather some?”

Belissar’s eyes widened.

“Oh, that would be great! And, sure, that sounds fair? Um, I should mention that the Tower needs to absorb a certain amount before it can grow them…and again, I, can’t guarantee that any particular plant will grow in the rooms I have right now.”

Juosiutik looked up to him, her eyes narrowed.

“How many do you need?”

Belissar gulped and took another step back.

“Um, it depends. It changes for each plant and how whole the pieces so I, um, won’t know until I hold the specific plant.”

Juosiutik began to tremble. She took a deep breath and turned back to Chief Rohsuak, pleading with her eyes.

Chief Rohsuak chuckled and shook her head.

“The Sacred Den Master has already agreed.”

Chief Rohsuak had barely eased her grip when Juosiutik vanished, sprinting out of the Tower and back towards the bear people’s camp. Chief Rohsuak sighed, though with a smile still on her face as she turned to Belissar.

“Thank you for your patience, Sacred Den Master. I know Juosiutik can get a bit…passionate.”

Belissar shook his head.

“It’s fine…as long as she doesn’t set the Tower on fire. And, um, this deal is pretty good for me.”

Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin.

“I see, in that case, would you be open to extending the deal to other plants besides Juosiutik’s herbs? Something more mundane, like food or wood?”

“Sure, that’d be great. Anything with flowers, especially.”

Chief Rohsuak smiled and nodded back.

“Wonderful, I’ll see to it then. Would one third of harvested material suffice as tribute?”

Chief Rohsuak nodded.

“We will be imposing upon your den for resources, it is only natural to offer some back, is it not?”

Belissar tilted his head.

“Um, I thought that was in exchange for giving me the stuff in the first place?”

Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin.

“Perhaps but that’s a one time thing. We would like to continue gathering into the future if you are willing, so a more permanent compensation would be natural, right?”

“Is that so? But, it’s the Tower growing it, right?”

The only thing he knew of tribute was that the Tower Lords had demanded it of him and his village. He had done a good job putting them out of his mind recently, so he didn’t particularly like the reminder.

Chief Rohsuak shook her head.

“It is your Sacred Den, and you are the one growing the plants, by our request even. You should receive your portion from each harvest of your own land.”

Belissar furrowed his brow.

He guessed that was true. It wasn't like before, where the Tower Lords were taking stuff from land outside the Tower. Instead, they were coming into the Tower to gather stuff from it. And he was the master of this Tower and he did use up some of his total mana on the resource nodes. So, if he was going to share, he guessed it did make sense to get something back for it. Especially since the plants would be placed further away from the hives, making it harder for the bees to gather from. The bear people would even be taking away some of the flowers that bees could otherwise gather from…that would grow back on a daily basis but the point still stood! When Belissar thought of it that way…

He narrowed his eyes and nodded quickly.